For Immediate Release
Contact: Kelly Wismer, 703-351-2015, [email protected]
Arlington, Va., (January 9, 2018)—In a blog post titled, “Exciting Day for Rural prosperity in Nasvhille,” NTCA Chief Executive Officer Shirley Bloomfield today shared her experience traveling to the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention where U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue presented President Trump with the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Report and two executive orders aimed at speeding deployment of broadband networks in rural areas.
“Understandably given our members’ focus on getting and keeping rural communities connected, we at NTCA leapt at first to the prominence of “e-connectivity” and its foundational importance for other initiatives identified in the report. It was also terrific to see live and in-person the President sign executive orders aimed at speeding deployment of broadband networks in rural areas.
“…But the remarks today and the report itself underscore the broader objectives of advancing rural economic development and improving the quality of life for millions of Americans who live in rural areas. There’s also great focus on how taking the steps outlined in the report – in the form of even more efficient food production, a well-trained rural workforce, and technological innovation in rural areas – will yield substantial payback across the United States, in rural and urban areas alike.”
Bloomfield noted that NTCA remains eager to continue working with policymakers and our Rebuild Rural colleagues to carry forward the vision articulated in the remarks of the President and Secretary Perdue.
Full text of the blog post is available online.
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NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing nearly 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovation in rural and small-town America. NTCA advocates on behalf of its members in the legislative and regulatory arenas, and it provides training and development; publications and industry events; and an array of employee benefit programs. In an era of transformative technological advancements, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are leading the technological evolution for rural consumers, delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks that make rural communities vibrant places in which to live and do business. Because of their efforts, rural America is fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at www.ntca.org.